Of Fish, Freckles and Seaweed
by The Steppy One
Summary: Ron has to help Harry get over one of his phobias to save Harry's reputation!


**Okay, here's another Ron and Harry friendship fic for you. Some light hearted fun, no angst in sight!  
****Hope you like it.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Potterverse, I'm just playing with the characters, I'll return them when I'm done.  
(Oh, and I am writing the next chapter of Searching, it's just taking a long time!)**

**Step ;)**

* * *

'I think I'm getting a tan.'

Ron snorted and then laughed out loud at Harry's comment.

'_What?_' Harry exclaimed. 'I'm browner than you, Freckle Boy!'

Ron stopped laughing and glared at Harry.

'Oi! The bits of me that aren't my freckles are getting brown!'

This time it was Harry's turn to snort.

'You know, you aren't actually getting a tan; your freckles are just growing and merging together to make giant freckles.'

'What? Don't be thick! Of course they're not!'

'Uh huh!'

'What kind of noise was that? And why have you got that weird, smug look on your face?'

'I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about!'

Ron surveyed Harry and knew talking wasn't going to get whatever he was hiding out of him.

'So, Potter, Ginny tells me you won't go in the sea because you're afraid of the fish.'

Harry's smug look slid off his face and he turned his head towards Ron quickly.

'Oh and of course we can't forget the fear of seaweed either!'

Harry turned a shade of sunburn red.

'I take it because you're not denying the fact, it's true?'

Harry scowled and gave what could have been taken as a nod.

'You know, for someone who walked to his death with his head held high, it's pretty wussy to be afraid of a few little fish and plants.'

'Says he who's afraid of spiders!'

'I think you'll find _I_ have a genuine, actual, relevant reason why I have a small issue with spiders…'

'Small, my arse!'

'Harry, neither your arse, nor mine is the subject of this conversation, you being a wuss, is. Now, you can either come with me into the sea and get over this ridiculous phobia, or you can be a boring git for the whole two weeks we are here. Which is it to be?'

Harry looked at Ron through his fringe.

'Well, how do you intend me to get over my _wussy_ phobia then?' he asked through gritted teeth.

Ron looked at Harry as if he was stupid.

'I suppose going in the sea is too easy an answer!' Ron replied.

Harry looked at Ron, his mouth slightly open.

'You are joking, aren't you?'

'No! Why would I be joking?

'Where's the softly, softly approach where you firstly introduce the idea of going in to the sea and see if I'm comfortable with trying it before we move on to actually go in the water?'

'Phfffft! Bollocks to that! That'd take the two weeks we're here for and believe me, I do not want this holiday to be about getting you in the sodding sea. The offer's going in the sea, with me, now, or you not going in it ever and being called a wuss until the day you die.'

'You know that thing you mentioned earlier, the whole walking to my death thing, I think I'll be remembered for that rather than a small phobia of fish!'

'HA! Not likely! Well, maybe when you're dead and all they'd probably forget the fish phobia thing, but until then, no chance!'

Harry seemed to wilt.

'Fine!'

He stood up and walked to where the waves were breaking on the sand. Ron followed with a grin on his face.

'Come on, there's no fish at this depth!'

He walked into the sea but stopped after a few metres when he realised Harry wasn't at his side.

'Oi! Potter! You're coming into this water if I have to put you over my shoulder and carry you in, so it's a choice between on your feet at your own pace, or arse first in mine!'

'I thought my arse wasn't the topic of conversation!'

'It isn't, but it might be for the fish when it lands in the sea in the most undignified way possible! No get yourself _and_ your arse over here, now!'

Harry scowled at Ron but then started walking slowly into the sea. He stopped when he was level with Ron.

'Happy?' he growled.

'Happi_er!_ At least you've got this far, but now, we carry on!'

'Can we go over there?' Harry pointed to their left. 'There's less seaweed.'

Harry knew from the look Ron was giving him that he wasn't going to get to change course.

He sighed loudly.

'Oh wait!' Harry exclaimed. 'I could just do _impervious_, couldn't I? My legs would be waterproof and, therefore, repel anything that was in the water too!'

'And your wand would be where, Harry? Unless you've got it somewhere I don't need to know about right now, I'll bet you don't have it on you, and there is no way in hell I'm letting you get out this water. Now, keep walking!'

Again Harry scowled at Ron but he followed when Ron started walking.

Harry tried not to shudder when he put his foot on the thick seaweed. He could do this, he could…_he could!_

'See! It's not that bad!'

'Ron, it's really is! It just feels wrong!'

'Harry, you eat the bloody stuff, but you won't walk on it!'

'I don't eat the wet stuff! That's just weird! I only like the dehydrated seaweed. It's only your strange sister that travels to the other side of London to the only shop that sells it to stock up!'

'Yeah, it is a bit bizarre that, did you know you can't sit down inside that place? You have to buy it and then cross the road to sit down and eat it!'

'Embankment Gardens? It's nice there though.'

'Not if it's pissing it down it isn't! Anyway, don't think your talk about Embankment Gardens is going to distract me from getting you further into the sea!'

'How far do I have to go in before you decide I'm in far enough?'

Ron looked at the people in the sea around them.

'Well, it's not very deep at all, I was well annoyed yesterday when I'd been swimming for a good few minutes and then found I could still stand up! So, how about we go to about where that woman is th—bloody hell! She's not wearing a lot is she?'

'And she most probably should be!'

Both Ron and Harry gave a small shudder before looking determinedly at each other and at no one else.

'Okay, look, if you go under the water now and have a bit of a swim about then I'll be happy you're okay with going in the sea. Actually…thinking about it…'

'Careful, don't strain yourself!'

Ron shoved Harry in the chest and then smirked when Harry nearly lost his footing on the uneven seaweed.

'How come you didn't have this phobia…thing when you had to save me from the bottom of Hogwart's lake?'

'Why do you think?'

'I don't know, that's why I asked!'

'Well, it's amazing what you'll do when you think you're the only one who can save your best mate from drowning, you know? Kind of gives you an incentive to get over things and get on with what you have to do!'

Ron didn't say anything, but looked suitably moved by Harry's comment.

'You know,' Ron started before clearing his throat, 'it's a good thing Hermione or Ginny didn't hear that, they'd be getting all teary and emotional.'

'True, they would.

'I'm thinking we need to do something manly to counter that girlie moment we just had.'

'What, like this?'

Harry launched himself at Ron and tackled him so they both fell in the sea. A few seconds later they both resurfaced, Harry's glasses askew on his face and Ron looking shocked at what had just happened.

'Oh, you are going to pay for that, Potter!'

And so he did, the fight carried on for a good few minutes, in which they managed to move a good twenty metres out to sea and the both of them swallowed more seawater than was wise.

Ten minutes later they walked out of the sea, breathless and occasionally giggling at what had just happened.

They reached the beach and fell heavily on the sand.

'So, where exactly have you been sunbathing with no shorts on, Ron?'

Ron looked at Harry, very shocked at what had he just said.

'How—?'

'The group of freckles on your arse that are in a cross shape, they've merged together, they wouldn't have done that if they'd been covered up!'

Ron sighed, knowing he was beaten.

'On the balcony of the room, and how the hell do you know they've merged?'

'Play fighting in the sea leaves little to the imagination, Ron!'

Ron sniggered.

'Thanks, for, you know, helping me go in there and get over my issue with fish and seaweed.'

Ron snorted. 'S'okay.'

'And thanks for helping me get ten galleons richer!'

Harry grinned and lay down on the sand.

Ron looked down at Harry, confused. Harry merely carried on grinning.

'Hermione lost her bet. Who thought your freckles and the way they merge in the sun could be such a money spinner!'


End file.
